They’re not even on the market yet, but I am just smitten with these new measuring cups designed by Fred & Friends!  I’ve had my eye on them for some months now.  In two weeks time, they should be made available to the public!

M A T R Y O S H K A S   M A D E   T O   M E A S U R E

Design: Carl Mitsch, Fred Studio

From Fred & Friends:  “This set of 6 dry-measure cups nests neatly just like traditional Russian matryoshkas. They accurately measure 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4 and 1 full cup, and they’re built from heavy-duty, food-safe, long-life engineering plastics. M-Cups are useful, easy to store, and quite charming…so why not doll up YOUR kitchen with a little Russian folklore? Each set is packaged in a full-color printed gift box.”

Why not, indeed.  Each set of 6 will be priced affordably at $11.99.  Click here to receive notification as soon as they are made available!

As silly as it sounds, I have been waiting for these cereal bowls to come out on the market for months!  I first came across them in early spring, and thought they were so adorable that I immediately put myself on a waiting list.  The great minds at Fred & Friends have since established more grounding for them in the market; Now, they are available for anyone who enjoys a little humor in the morning.

S P I L T   M I L K   C E R E A L   B O W L S

I love this design because it is playful and modern without crossing the line toward being campy or loud.   Made of silicone, so you won’t have to worry about breaking them no matter how much milk is spilled!  Each bowl measures 6 inches in diameter, and is 3 inches tall.

*Currently available for online purchase through perpetual kid – $13.99 each

I came across govino shatterproof wineglasses awhile ago, and knew they had to be blogged.  People who are part of the food and wine festival circuit may find them familiar.  Not until recently, though, have these great little cups been made available to the public.

G O V I N O    S H A T T E R P R O O F    W I N E G L A S S E S

What do I love about govino wineglasses?  Well, for one, they look and feel expensive.  They reflect the color and aromatic tones of wine just like delicate crystal.  But surprise!  They are actually made from a food/pharmaceutical safe thermoplastic polymer that is extremely affordable and shatterproof.  On top of that, govino wineglasses are reusable like crystal, but still recyclable after extended periods of use.

The tapered edge, obtuse shape, and thumb indent make them comfortable to hold.  They are also ideal for casual outdoor settings, or any place where the use of traditional stemware is just not practical.

Govino shatterproof wineglasses are an incredible value at only $3 dollars a piece.  Hand wash them according to instructions for prolonged enjoyment.

*Available for in-store or online purchase through Wally’s Wine and Spirits in Westwood.  To find other govino retailers, or to purchase directly through the company, click here.
*Click here to find out more about Wally’s 6th Annual Central Coast Wine & Food Celebration.

It all started when I saw Aram’s Swiss Cheese Board & Knife at Bloomingdale’s.  The design was so clean, dainty, and full of humor.  I delighted in it from the start.

M I C H A E L   A R A M   S E R V E W A R E

Swiss Cheese Board & Knife in Polished

Soon after, I discovered Aram’s entire line of serveware and barware.  They were all gorgeous works of art!  I particularly liked his tea service items and hors d’oeuvres picks.  Each piece was delicate and extremely playful, but did not fall over the line of being tacky.  A lot of Aram’s designs were inspired by food and nature, which seemed quite fitting.  He also played with different metallic finishes.  In his collections, I found: warm, textured gold, bronze, stainless steel, and black aluminum to name a few.  Perfect for the laid-back, fashion-forward host in anyone’s life!

*Michael Aram designs are available for online purchase through his official website.  The Swiss Cheese Board & Knife set shown above is also available for online purchase at Bloomingdale’s – $50 dollars as oppose to his listed price of $65.

I came across Nambé’s newest line of serveware and barware as I was rummaging around on the internet looking for the perfect gift.  At first, it started with the adorable Trio Condiment Serving Set (fifth picture from the left), and then it went to the stylish Wine Chiller (fourth from the left).  Pretty soon, I found myself smitten with many other Nambé designs.

What do I like about this New Mexican designer?  For starters, its pieces are sleek, practical, and versatile.  I also appreciate the marriage of organic ease and contemporary sensibility.  It is easy to picture these pieces in a Venice loft, but they will work in your favor just about anywhere.  So understated and elegant are these pieces, that even the most discerning host will find them for good use.

N A M B É   S E R V E W A R E   &   B A R W A R E

See what I mean?  Gorgeous!  I love the slightly skewed balance, and the clean – yet playful – curves and lines.  I also love the contrast of shiny and matte, and crystal and wood.  It’s like being at Pokémon Summer Camp.  You’ve just gotta catch them all.

*Nambé products are available for online purchase through its company website.  Also available for in store or online purachase at Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, and Neiman Marcus.

There are lots of elements that go into creating a tea.  Sometimes, you might not even notice all the little comforts until you are without.  To help avoid any minor catastrophes, here is a list of some very important items.  They are small, inexpensive, and sold everywhere – but if you overlook them, people will ask.  Don’t sell yourself short after all that magic you’ve created in the kitchen – make sure everything is where it should be so that your food (and tea) can really shine.

T E A   A C C O M P A N I M E N T S

As far as tea accompaniments go, don’t forget:
- Lemon wedges, de-seeded
- Sugar cubes (they are far less messy than regular sugar)
- Honey
- Artificial sweetener
- Cream (warmed or room temp so that the tea stays hot)
- Curd, Preserves, Devonshire Cream

T E A   A C C E S S O R I E S

As far as tea accessories go, don’t forget:
- Tea infusers (for loose leaf – one infuser per pot is fine)
- Hors d’oeuvres spoons and/or spreading knives (for each curd, jam, or whipped cream)
- Saucers (You may be tempted to overlook this, especially if you don’t already have a proper set. Saucers, however, are important because they give guests a place to rest spoons. Saucers also provide a cool and stabilizing surface to hold cups. If you are thinking about purchasing a proper set, I am currently smitten with Martha Stewart and Wedgwood’s latest “Conservatory Collection.”)
- Several teapots (Cost Plus World Market sells many for about $10 dollars. You can also find cheap ones at many Asian markets.)
- Paper doilies (They help to absorb and trap any spills. You can also get creative by thoroughly washing and drying orange or lemon leaves, and using them for similar decorative purposes. As far as I know, paper doilies work best, though. You don’t want any droplets of tea slipping off someone’s saucer and staining their clothes!)

That’s it for Wedding Week 2009, folks!  Thank you to all our loyal readers – we appreciate you and love receiving your feedback!  Tomorrow, it’s back to the food.  Who’s hungry?

*Images courtesy of dkimages, Crate&Barrel, Design Museum Shop, and flickr user ly wylde
*All tea accessories shown are available for online purchase through Crate&Barrel (excluding doily)

When she was still single, my cousin Huong would always lament to her mother.  She didn’t want to grow up, she said.  She didn’t want to marry someone, and then have to go live with “his people” and “do work” for them.  Her life would become a complete tragedy.

You can imagine how happy she was when her boyfriend, whose parents had passed on when he was just a kid, finally proposed marriage.  As harsh or ridiculous as it may sound, that was the truth.  And now tables have more or less turned for Huong.  Her doting husband lives with her and her family in a sweet, pistachio-colored house in a suburb of Westminster.  He helps to take care of her dad, sometimes sneaking off to watch sports on TV or mess around on the internet.  He keeps the diaper bag stocked for their son, who clings to his leg every time he enters or leaves the house.

And so it is with today’s “traditional” Vietnamese wedding.  The principles are there, but not everything is the same.  Circumstances change, and we must adjust.  For all you modern Vietnamese American couples out there, here’s a bit of a guide to help you master the ins-and-outs of the wedding ceremony.  What can I say, people?  It’s a new tradition!

TRADITIONAL VIETNAMESE WEDDINGS

Vietnamese weddings, just like Vietnamese engagements, are meticulously planned.  Forget spontaneously popping the question as you get caught in the rain… or dropping a ring into her champagne glass at your favorite steakhouse.  I mean, you can do it.  But afterward, your traditional honey may take it right off, in anticipation of an actual engagement ceremony.

About a year after the engagement ceremony has taken place is usually when wedding firecrackers will pop.  Many couples go to seek the advice of a monk or Buddhist spiritual reader about the best date to tie the knot.  The date is determined based on a few things: their birth dates, their parents’ birth dates, their siblings’ birth dates, how many siblings, etc.  I know of several Catholic families who opt out of doing this, but in reality there are many who still incorporate such traditions.  The traditional Vietnamese wedding incorporates shared cultural values – regardless of religion.  The most prominent are the cult of ancestor worship and Confucianism.

(While these practices may seem very gendered, we have seen them pulled off for same-sex ceremonies in the most flawless way.  If your parents have passed on or are not a part of your life, you can always refer to uncles, aunts, or older people who are close to you and your family.)

A long time ago, many confirmations would have to be made between the groom’s family and the bride’s… mainly to make sure that the bride and her parents would honor their commitment.  Often, this was done as a precautionary measure to discourage the bride from running away (“Call me mint jelly, ’cause I’m on the lam!”).  Today, you sometimes might get a funny version of this.  One of my cousin’s girlfriends had her parents show up at my uncle’s house.  They made him promise to have an engagement ceremony within 4 months to make sure my cousin wasn’t goofing off with their daughter.

Once the date has been set, and everyone has promised not to run away, things are in order.  On the morning of the wedding, the groom and his “side” (usually consisting of family and a few very good friends) get in their cars and form a caravan which heads to the bride’s house.  If you are a completely modern couple, and already live together… I dunno… I guess it would be pretty funny to have your man drop you off at your parents’ house early in the morning before coming back.

“Haha, you’re getting married!”

“Shut up.  I know.”

“Well, you don’t have to be a jerk about it.”

Down the street from the bride’s parents’ house, the groom’s side will form a procession.  The groom is usually in front, followed by his parents or any groomsmen.  With him at the very front will be a male representative from the family.  The representative is bestowed a great honor.  Usually, this person is someone with seniority in the family, a respectable well-spoken individual who will conduct introductory speeches, formal introductions, and any required narration.  This person is never the groom’s father or grandfather, as the day is theirs to shine in an even more distinguished way.

Excited

Getting ready

The groom’s procession

The groom’s side stands in a long procession (usually about 20-25 people).  They bear gifts concealed in 6 -8 ornate lacquer boxes (remember never to gift in odd numbers!).  Often these boxes are decorated with intricate tortoise shell pieces.  Each gift is covered in red cloth.  Referenced back to the Chinese colonial era, red has become a color that represents good fortune for the Vietnamese people as well.  These cloths are usually embroidered with gold designs of the dragon and phoenix.  In traditional folklore, Vietnamese people are believed to have descended from the union of these mystical creatures – the phoenix representing the heavens, and the dragon representing the sea.

Heading off

In a previous era, the mother of the groom would usually stay behind to welcome the bride once she arrived (and stayed for good).  It was also a gentler way of dealing with the nervous bride because – I’m going to be blunt about this – many Vietnamese women to this day are not crazy about their mother in laws.  The idea persists that – in a crunch – you will still be her servant to some degree.  The fact that sons are so valued does not help.

The gifts brought over to the bride’s house consist of several things that should not be changed: Areca nuts wrapped in betel leaves, fine liquor, jasmine tea, fruit, various cakes, a whole roast pig, and at least a few pieces of jade and gold jewelery for the bride.  Of course, the types of cakes, fruit, and liquor may vary.  But don’t bring moon cake, and for god’s sake don’t bring beer or cheap champagne.  The safest things options are: large steamed buns (to accompany the pig), Vietnamese wedding cakes (called Banh Phu The), and good wine or luxury liquors like Courvoisier and Hennessey.  Be prepared to see a lot of Courvoisier and Hennessey at a Vietnamese wedding.

Wedding gifts – notice that there are 8

Oink oink

One thing you absolutely do not want to stray from are betel and areca; They are so symbolically important in a Vietnamese wedding because of their long-held ties to cultural ideas of love and matrimony.  To clarify: areca nuts are not really nuts, but fruits.  Traditionally, they are enjoyed in many Southeast Asian countries, and even parts of Africa.  The most popular form of eating them (that I know of) is to wrap them tightly in betel leaves, which offer a spicy, peppery snap.  In Vietnam, where areca nuts and betel leaves are more readily available, the combination is sometimes still chewed by parents of both the bride and groom as they negotiate the terms of the couples’ engagement, or plans for upcoming festivities.  Because the two are so historically bound together – and are taken as one – they have THE hugest significance.

Plastic Areca nuts on right-hand side; Banh Phu The in center

Close-up of Banh Phu The

In the States, it may be impossible to buy areca and betel at a store.  Sometimes you see frozen areca, but they are not top quality and will usually blacken by the time they are presented.  Many Vietnamese couples opt to use plastic representations.  It may be possible to get fresh areca – but it won’t be cheap.  Anyone who absolutely must have them is free to contact me, and I will see if I can arrange to have them made available to you.

The groom and family representative enter the house.  Most always, you will see several people on the bride’s “side” standing in rows on either side of her front door to greet the procession.  I was part of the groom’s procession for a family member’s ceremony, and it was a big insult that the bride’s family had us enter their house through the back door – so avoid doing this if you can.

Heading in

Once everybody files in, they center around the bride’s family altar.  The groom’s posse on one side, and the bride’s on the other.  The groom’s family representative thanks the bride’s family for having them, says a short blurb about the happy occasion, and proceeds to introduce each person on their side.  The family representative for the bride will do the same, and then the groom’s family representative will unveil and explain each gift… except the jewelry.

Once it’s been confirmed that the gift boxes aren’t just stuffed with packing peanuts, the mother of the bride goes to the bride’s bedroom to fetch her.  It would be pretty funny if you moved out years ago, and had to sit around in your childhood bedroom after your fiance dropped you off… but that’s how it works.

The bride comes out, looking like a fine piece of lusciousness.  Then, the couple lights incense and prays together at her family altar.  The altar basically shelves photos of ancestors who have passed on.  For a special occasion, extra offerings of fruit and flowers may adorn this area.  Depending on the couple and the square footage of the room, they may get down on their knees and bow their heads to the ground to the altar and their parents.

Beautiful bride

With her ladies in waiting

After the couple prays, they serve tea to both parents.  Usually, this starts off with the bride offering tea to her father and mother in law.  It is a sign of respect, but also an indicator that she will serve and take care of them.  Both bride and groom then serve tea to her parents.

They go down the line of relatives.  Every person older than them congratulates them and gives them advice.  Then, the groom’s family representative will talk about the jewelry as it’s opened.  The groom’s mother is usually the one to open these boxes.  She puts every piece of jewelry brought on the bride.  Sometimes, the bride’s mom might jump in to help with one of the earrings, or the bride might just do it herself.  The moms usually love taking care of this task, though.

Congratulations and advice (haha, look at his face)

Groom’s mother

Putting on earrings

The bride’s family hosts food, with a little help from the cakes and pig that the groom has brought.  The pig, by now, is usually cold and no longer crispy.  Also, all the food which has not been stored away will smell like incense.  But it is all a lot of fun.

The party ends with the bride being taken over to the groom’s house.  Nowadays, everyone (including her family) heads over expecting another celebration.  I see this step passed over a lot because of time constraints.  Most couples have to go take professional photographs and then head off to their reception.  Some have to squeeze a giant Catholic ceremony in between.  Then it’s off in a whirlwind of several dresses and red envelopes, until they finally crash.

Going into the church

Catholic ceremony

Vows and tears

Group Shot with big smiles

Sweet shot with Iamme’s parents (who’ve been married forever!)

A matatu driver once offered my friend, Yvonne, 8 cows as a bride price.  But I don’t need a man to tell me what I’m worth.  I know what I’m worth.  And I won’t settle for anything less than a roast pig and a pair of gold earrings.

*First image courtesy of Kim Le Photography